Grand Theft Arlen
Encyclopedia
"Grand Theft Arlen" is the 209th episode of the FOX
animated television series King of the Hill
, and was the 8th episode broadcast in the 11th season.
finds out that Bobby
has been skipping P.E.
for a new program where students play video games written by Arlen Community College students instead of exercising, he puts Bobby back into a physical track and investigates the video game program. There, a community college 'student-teacher' and his friend ask Hank about the Strickland Propane cap that he happens to be wearing. The teens later show up at Strickland Propane and speak to him again, but he sends them away. Later, Hank begins training Bobby at home for the Presidential Fitness Test
. Joseph arrives, asking Bobby for help with his homework for the video game class; when Joseph tells Hank that the game in question is about propane, Hank watches and finds out that the game features a propane dealership based on Strickland Propane, and that the main character bears a striking resemblance to Hank himself.
When Buck Strickland learns about the game, Hank is told to play it to prove its similarities for copyright infringement
lawsuits. He soon becomes obsessed with the game when he finds out that he can also stop crimes instead of committing them, and that the gameplay allows his character to be 'promoted'. Buck finds out that the game is actually in the public domain
and that no legal action can be taken, and tells Hank to stop playing; Hank, however, finds himself unable to do so. While Hank becomes further immersed in the game, Bobby, with Joseph's encouragement, actually starts becoming better at exercise. When he demonstrates his newfound ability to execute a pushup to his parents, only Peggy
notices that Hank is paying attention to the game rather than to Bobby, and implores him to stop playing. This works until Hank hears that it can be played online, and he falls back into his video game addiction. Peggy again tries to stop Hank, this time by going to the two students who created the game to get them to help her. They assign her an invincible character, and she self-destructs it, simultaneously taking Hank's character out and ending the game permanently. Hank thanks Peggy, and together they later watch Bobby attempt the Presidential Fitness Test. Bobby manages to do one pull-up, but Coach Kleehammer tells him that he needs two more to pass, which Bobby fails to do. Hank, however, tells him that even though he failed, he still did better than other kids who couldn't even do one single pull-up, and Bobby agrees to start training for next year.
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
animated television series King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
, and was the 8th episode broadcast in the 11th season.
Plot
When HankHank Hill
Henry Rutherford "Hank" Hill Age 50 animated series King of the Hill. Hank lives in Arlen, Texas and works at the fictional Strickland Propane selling propane and propane accessories. Hank's voice is provided by series creator Mike Judge. The Economist named Hank Hill as one of the wisest people...
finds out that Bobby
Bobby Hill (King of the Hill)
Robert Jeffrey "Bobby" Hill is a character on the animated series King of the Hill and is voiced by Pamela Adlon. Bobby is the only child of Hank and Peggy Hill.- Biography :...
has been skipping P.E.
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
for a new program where students play video games written by Arlen Community College students instead of exercising, he puts Bobby back into a physical track and investigates the video game program. There, a community college 'student-teacher' and his friend ask Hank about the Strickland Propane cap that he happens to be wearing. The teens later show up at Strickland Propane and speak to him again, but he sends them away. Later, Hank begins training Bobby at home for the Presidential Fitness Test
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
The President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition , is an American government organization that aims to "promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sport"...
. Joseph arrives, asking Bobby for help with his homework for the video game class; when Joseph tells Hank that the game in question is about propane, Hank watches and finds out that the game features a propane dealership based on Strickland Propane, and that the main character bears a striking resemblance to Hank himself.
When Buck Strickland learns about the game, Hank is told to play it to prove its similarities for copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
lawsuits. He soon becomes obsessed with the game when he finds out that he can also stop crimes instead of committing them, and that the gameplay allows his character to be 'promoted'. Buck finds out that the game is actually in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
and that no legal action can be taken, and tells Hank to stop playing; Hank, however, finds himself unable to do so. While Hank becomes further immersed in the game, Bobby, with Joseph's encouragement, actually starts becoming better at exercise. When he demonstrates his newfound ability to execute a pushup to his parents, only Peggy
Peggy Hill
Margaret J. "Peggy" Hill is a fictional character in the American animated series King of the Hill.-Biography:Peggy is the matriarch of the Hill family, and the wife of series protagonist Hank Hill. She wears rimless glasses and is generally seen wearing cut-off blouses and culottes...
notices that Hank is paying attention to the game rather than to Bobby, and implores him to stop playing. This works until Hank hears that it can be played online, and he falls back into his video game addiction. Peggy again tries to stop Hank, this time by going to the two students who created the game to get them to help her. They assign her an invincible character, and she self-destructs it, simultaneously taking Hank's character out and ending the game permanently. Hank thanks Peggy, and together they later watch Bobby attempt the Presidential Fitness Test. Bobby manages to do one pull-up, but Coach Kleehammer tells him that he needs two more to pass, which Bobby fails to do. Hank, however, tells him that even though he failed, he still did better than other kids who couldn't even do one single pull-up, and Bobby agrees to start training for next year.
Trivia
- The episode's title references the Grand Theft AutoGrand Theft Auto (series)Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
series of video games; the titular game in the episode also has a very similar gameplay thereto. - The pimps in the game bear a very close resemblance to Alabaster Jones, the pimp from the earlier episode "Ho Yeah!Ho Yeah!"Ho Yeah!" is the 97th episode of the Fox TV animated comedy King of the Hill. It was the 13th episode of the fifth season, although it was the 15th produced. On Fox, this episode is rated TV-14-D.-Plot:...
". - The video game Principal Moss is playing closely resembles Halo: Combat EvolvedHalo: Combat EvolvedHalo: Combat Evolved, frequently referred to as Halo: CE, or Halo 1, is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The first game of the Halo franchise, it was released on November 15, 2001 as a launch title for the Xbox gaming system, and is...
. - The episode aired exactly one year before the release of Grand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
, which was released on April 29, 2008.